Drafting device



P. J. TOIEN DRAFTING DEVICE Aug. 16, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1963 INVENTOR. PAUL. J. 722/E/v BY MAHOA/EY; HALBEET 8:

Hanna/W52 ATWRNEYS' Aug. 16, 1966 P. J. TOIEN 3,

DRAFTING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IDAUL d 70/EN BY MAHOIUEY; HALBEET a:

HOENEAKEE A TTOEMEYS United States Patent 3,266,160 DRAFTING DEVICE Paul J. Toien, 8217 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles 48, Calif.

, Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,350

1 Claim. (Cl. 33-174) This invention relates to a drafting device and, more particularly, to a drafting device adapted to be utilized in preparing drawings of parking lots and parking structures to obtain the most effective utilization of the parking areas of said lots and structures.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that the maximum utilization of the space in parking lots and parking structures is an economic necessity due to the fact that high land values and structural costs render such maximum effective utilization critical, particularly in densely populated urban areas.

Conventional parking lot and parking structure layout is a hit-or-miss operation involving the use of conventional drafting instruments in an attempt to obtain the maximum number of parking stalls or spaces from the square footage available. The consequences of such conventional layout methods are either the wastage of available space or, conversely, an excessively dense parking layout which ignores the realities of the size and turning radius of conventional automobiles. 7

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide :a drafting device which is adapted to facilitate the maximum utilization of available parking areas while permitting the realities, of the size and turning radius of present day automobiles to be elfectively coped with.

Another object of my invention is the provision of :a drafting device including an elongated chassis which is dimensioned to a predetermined scale, for example, inch to the foot, and which conforms substantially, in its reduced size, to the size of an average automobile.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of a drafting device of the aforementioned character which includes rotatable front and rear wheels, with said front wheels being turned to simulate the minimal turning radius of a conventional size automobile in order that the minimum dimensions of a turning pattern and a parking stall may be drawn by the utilization thereof.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a drafting device of the aforementioned character wherein the aforesaid chassis is provided with a front wheel assembly consisting of an axle having angularly bent extremities thereupon adapted to maintain :a pair of front wheels at a desired angle of inclination to simulate the turning radius of an average size automobile, whereby the turning radius into parking stalls and the space to be occupied by an automobile may be readily determined. A An additional object of my invention is the provision, in a device of the aforementioned character, of an axle constituted by an elongated rod which has angularly bent extremities and an intermediate portion adapted to be grasped by the fingers of a user of the device in order that the rod may be rotated bodily with respect to the associated chassis to reverse the angle of inclination of the angularly bent extremities of the axle and, thus, to reverse the turning angle of said front wheels.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a drafting device which is characterized by the fact that it, instead of being provided with two wheels at the forward extremity of the chassis, incorporates a single rotatable 3,266,166 Patented August 16, 1966 wheel which is adapted to cause the chassis to move in a predetermined arc.

A further object of my invention is theprovision of a drafting device of the aforementioned character wherein the rotation of the single front wheel is limited by stops provided on the chassis of the device so that the turning radius of the drafting device may be predetermined in accordance with the scale of the device.

Obviously, the drafting device may be utilized in laying out ramps, aisles, and ingress and egress roadways in addition to laying out parking stalls and spaces.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the drafting device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, partly sectional view taken on the broken line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational View;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken on the broken line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 7-7 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view.

Referring to the drawings and, particularly to FIGS. 13 thereof, I show a drafting device 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention and adapted to serve as a means for laying out parking stalls and parking spaces in parking lots, parking structures, and the like. The drafting device 10 is also utilized for laying out ramps, aisles, and ingress and egress roadways. The drafting device 10 includes an elongated, substantially rectangular chassis 12 which is formed from a suitable transparent plastic, such as methyl 'methacrylate, or the like,

which permits a'draftsman utilizing the drafting device 10 to view the surface of the drawing upon which he is working. While the elongated chassis 12 is disclosed as being substantially rectangular, it is, of course, conceivable that any desired shape may be provided.

The forward extremity of the chassis 12 incorporates an opening 14 in which is mounted a supporting bracket 16 adapted to support a front wheel assembly 20. The front wheel assembly 20 includes-a vertical spindle 22 which is mounted for rotation in a vertical bore 24 in the horizontal leg 26 of the supporting bracket 16. A spring washer 28 is retained in operative relationship with the perimeter of the spindle 22 by a snap ring 32 which also serves to retain the spindle in operative relationship with the bracket 16.

Secured to the lower extremity of the spindle 22 and adapted to be rotated thereby is a yoke 34 Which mounts an axle 36 having a front wheel 38 supported for rotation thereby. Operatively associated with the upper extremity of the yoke is motion limiting means 40 constituted by :a lozenge-shaped block 42 having oppositely disposed stop faces 44 thereupon engageable with corresponding stops 46 mounted on the underside of the horizontalleg '26 of the bracket 16.

A pair of rear wheels 50 is mounted in corresponding receptacles 52 at the rear of the chassis 12 by means of an axle 54. The opposite extremities of the axle 54 are supported in bosses 56 and the wheels 50 are maintained in spaced relationship with the adjacent side walls of the receptacles 52 by means of spacer protrusions 62 formed integrally with the chassis 12.

Centrally located in the chassis 12 is a depression 66 adapted to receive a drafting instrument such as a drafting pencil or the like, so that the drafting device 12 may be traversed over the surface of a drawing upon which various obstructions such as walls, pillars, or ramps have already been drawn, in order that the spatial relationship of the drafting device with the various obstructions may be determined. Therefore, as the drafting device 10 is traversed over the surface of the drawing, when a critical location is reached, the edges of the chassis 12 may be used as a guide to draw a schematic representation of an automobile on the drawing at the critical location. Therefore, clearance of the obstruction shown on the drawing by an actual automobile is insured.

It will, of course, be obvious to those skilled in the art that the scale of the drafting device 10 can be chosen to conform to that of an automobile of any suitable dimensions, but I have chosen the scale of one-eighth inch to one foot and have scaled the drafting device 10 to one of the largest automobiles on the market at the present time in order that adequate space may be provided for all vehicles on the parking plan.

In utilizing the drafting device 10 to lay out parking spaces, ramps, stalls, and aisles, the vertical spindle 22 is rotated to cause the rotation of the front wheel 38 in the desired direction. The front wheel 38 is rotated until the appropriate stop face 44 on the motion limiting means 40 engages the corresponding stop 46. When such engagement occurs the draftsman knows that the minimum turning radius of the drafting device 10 has been achieved.

The drafting device 10 is then placed in overlying relationship with the surface of the drawing. being made and a drafting pencil or other drafting instrument imparted in the depression 66. The device is then pushed across the surface of the drawing around obstacles represented on said drawing to insure clearance of the obstacles.

The drafting device 10 is then traversed over the surface of the drawing and a line will be made upon the drawing whose arcuity corresponds to the minimum turning radius of the drafting device 10. The use of the drafting device 10 eliminates the guesswork characteristic of prior art expedients utilized in laying out parking stalls or spaces, and ingress or egress roadways.

An alternative embodiment 70 of the drafting device of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4-8 of the drawings as including an elongated chassis 72 which is of substantially rectangular configuration and formed from the same type of plastic, or the equivalent, as the chassis 12 of the previously disclosed embodiment of the invention. The chassis 72 incorporates a centrally located depression 74 for the reception of the lower extremity of a drafting instrument such as the drafting pencil 76 illustrated in FIG. of the drawings.

A front wheel assembly 80 is secured in operative relationship with the chassis 12 and includes a front axle 82, to be described in greater detail hereinbelow, having front wheels 84 mounted upon the opposite extremities thereof and located in receptacles 86 provided at the front of the chassis 72.

The axle 82 includes an intermediate, substantially U- shaped grasping portion 92 which incorporates a protuberance 94 at its lower extremity for a purpose which will be described in greater detail hereinbelow. Formed integrally with the intermediate U-shaped portion 92 of the axle 82 are straight portions 96 which are journaled for limited rotation in vertically oriented bosses 98.

The straight portions 96 are provided with oppositely and angularly bent extremities 102 upon which are supported the wheels 84. The protuberance 94 is located above a recess 106 in the chassis 72, said recess having a leaf spring 108 therein engageable by the protuberance i 94. Spacer protuberances 112 are provided on the chassis 72 and engage the wheels 84 to maintain them in predetermined positions with respect to the associated receptacles 86 in the chassis 72.

The front wheels 84 are adapted to be located in one of two positions, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 8 of the drawings. When the U-shaped portion 92 is grasped and caused to move into overlying relationship with the chassis 72, as best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, it will be maintained in said position by impingement of the spring 108 upon the protuberance 94. Engagement of the protuberance 94 with the leaf spring 108 also serves to facilitate movement of the U-shaped grasping portion 92 to its opposite orientation.

To reverse the position of the wheels 84 and locate them in the position of FIG. 8 of the drawings, the U- shaped intermediate portion 92 of the axle is rotated into the position of FIG. 8 of the drawings in which it protrudes beyond the forward extremity of the chassis 72 and is maintained in said position by engagement of the protuberance 94 thereupon upon the leaf spring 108.

The angularly bent portions 102 of the axle 82 serve to automatically reverse the positions of the front wheels 84 as the axle 82 is rotated by movement of the intermediate grasping portion 92 thereof between its two locations. Since the angle of the extremities 102 of the axle 82 has been carefully calculated to achieve the proper movement of the chassis 72, when a drafting instrument such as a pencil 76, is placed in the depression 74, and the drafting device 70 traversed over the surface of the drawing, the chassis 72 will travel along a minimum radius conforming to the desired path of movement thereof. Therefore, avoidance of obstructions in the parking structure or lot are achieved.

A pair of rear wheels 116 is mounted in receptacles 118 at the rear extremity of the chassis 72 upon a straight axle 122 whose opposite extremities are journaled in hearing bosses 124. The wheels 116 are located with respect to the chassis 72 by spacer protrusions 128 formed integrally with said chassis on an adjacent wall of the receptacle 118.

I thus provide by my invention a drafting device which is characterized by the ease with which it may be utilized in laying out the proper radius of movement of automobiles in drawing parking stalls, parking spaces, aisles and ramps for parking lots and structures. The drafting device of the invention is scaled to an automobile of maximum size in order that each parking stall, space, ramp or aisle which is created by the utilization thereof may be adequate to permit the reception of a wide range of different lengths and widths of automobiles. The use of the device of the invention eliminates the necessity for the elaborate calculations characteristic of the utilization of prior art instrumentalities for achieving the same purpose.

I claim:

In a drafting device adapted to be utilized in making layouts for parking lots and parking structures, the combination of: a chassis template scaled to a predetermined scale in reference to the size of :a conventional automobile, said conventional automobile having front wheel side turning limits defining a maximum turning radius; a set of rear wheels mounted on said chassis at the rear extremity thereof and a front wheel assembly mounted at the front of said chassis, said rear wheel and front wheel assembly mounting the chassis for movement over the surface of a drawing; the front wheel assembly including an axle having front wheel means mounted thereupon, r0- tatable means operably connected to the chassis for mounting the front wheel means and axle movable in side turning movements relative to the chassis, motion limiting means operably connected to said front wheel means for exact movement with said front wheel means in said side turning movements, said motion limiting means including oppositely transversely disposed, angled motion limiting surfaces; and stop means mounted on the chassis forming transversely spaced stop surfaces transversely outward of and adapted for engagement by said surfaces on said motion limiting means to limit the side turning movements of the wheel means to precalculated side turning limits and, therefore, a maximum turning radius corresponding to the scale of the chassis and thereby corre- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS sponding to the maximum turning movement and maxi- 10 LEONARD FORMAN Prima'y Examiner SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Examiner.

mum turning radius of said conventional automobile. 

